Former Seminoles Building Lacrosse in Georgia
Feb 9, 2012FSULacrosse.com Staff
The #8 Florida State Seminoles will travel to Atlanta this weekend to play the #6 Boston College Eagles in a game hosted by Dunwoody High School. Dunwoody’s lacrosse team is coached by three former Seminoles: head coach Evan Goldberg and assistants Todd Matherly and Chris Sjogren. The trio has been working to help grow lacrosse in the Atlanta area during the past few seasons. Dunwoody finished 12-9 in 2011, and will be competing in Georgia’s Class 4A for the first time this spring. “In addition to building the high school team, we also established a middle school team,” said Goldberg, “Elementary school is next.”
The roots for their work together in Georgia began in Tallahassee. Goldberg and Matherly both served as team president, and Sjogren was a team captain. Knowing each other as players has helped on the sidelines.
“There's something to be said for knowing your coaching counterparts very well even before stepping on to the practice field for the first day,” said Matherly, “Most coaches meet each other for the first time as they come together for their seasons and have to establish and understand the tendencies of each other. The three of us have been completing sentences and concepts for each other since the very first day of practice.”
“Playing lacrosse at FSU is a brotherhood,” said Sjogren, who is the youngest of the three. “I am honored to get to coach with two guys who I looked up to while I was playing. We have been able to incorporate little things from each of our individual lacrosse backgrounds, and mold them with our shared experience at FSU.”
Goldberg had high praise for his assistants. “Chis and Todd aren't just good coaches, they are good role models and are making more of a difference in the city of Dunwoody than I think either of them knows.”
Florida State head coach Bill Harkins said he is “extremely proud of what Evan, Todd, and Chris are doing at Dunwoody. All three of them were great for us, and it’s no surprise that they’ve gone on to do great things after graduation. They’re not just teaching kids to play the game—they’re teaching them to play the game the right way,” said Harkins, “And I hope they start sending me some players!”
This Sunday, Goldberg, Matherly and Sjogren will watch Harkins and the Seminoles take on the Boston College Eagles in an early season showdown of two of the nation’s top-ranked teams. The Seminoles (2-0, 2-0 SELC) beat BC 14-9 two years ago in Tallahassee. The Eagles beat FSU 9-8 four years ago in College Park, Maryland.
Game details:
Florida State vs. Boston College
Sunday, February 12, 2012
1:00 p.m.
North Dekalb Stadium
3688 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road
Chamblee, GA 30341
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, and will benefit Dunwoody High School Lacrosse.
